Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-01-16

I~N~s4AA4ut AADNEt4894s y A014 ~ "
oriRin e. thundaE. scaltsreA 90 fhss
EadiamH are ever Q wide extsnt of sonn
isy. ard separated into many sribs
WATCH spsak diasrsas languages. soa.
u uhiah bsigna % ne sane tribal fam
lily ana soins ct u6lsh shov 20 fanIl.
rsssEhlanss. this = one Of . few irsdi
tions which seem 70 anits ell ct thss
tribes IN cartzin way and point In 81
diraetign Of = o0@mon origin.
/ The general belief amonR them ID tina
thunder 10 eaassd b. a immsuse bird
whose sizs darkens the heavens, ~ Zap
| ping e whose vines psodasss thnndsE
and who Iannehss cot . slpsrnatara
Ash. whish AppsaFs % psspls as Hight
ming. AZ The bird aies thF0ngh ihs ali
occasionally is strikes trees, whersupon
the trees are shivsEed 20 pieces, and 90
eaalonaliy lt stFikea . man, th01ah tbiI
IL very seldom. This bird is Supposed
20 feed upon tue whale, and ons ariteI
SAYS that among the ] dams Of Alert
Bay, VaaesussE Island, the lightning Is
ealisEea % bs the hsits Of ira Weich
ne bird eands ouf Of ~ mOuah 10 kill
/ the whales. 1s q
TIE Makaha, howeyaF, heliess this not
10 be real bird, bot
4 oI6AE1Ic rSpzAn,
AsoofdIde q Swans - Mskah Indians
OF Gage Fiastsry." uho lives upon the
highest msuntatns. and whese food con
sssts Of whales. when be wants fosd.
be puts on 4 garment consisting Of q
birds head, . paif Of Rreas wings and o
festher covering his body, and aFound
bis waist ties the lightning 6sh, which
has some Resemblance 70 the sea horse.
whose bead Re SHARP ss9a kBfte md
whose red tongue makes the bfs. The
great being then sails over the ocean
until be sees whale. which be kills b.
darling the lightning fish into lbs body.
and tsen, ssIzing 10 with his kOWerful
CLAWS, be carries tt away into the moan
taina. wHees 10 eats u.
4 Ths Indians are very aHxio1s 70 Oh
tain pieces 81 she bones OF sthfs liaht-
ning nsh, ssthey neiieve he possession
% thess gi8 ulhks them euaeessfnl b
killing whales. One QaineanIt Indian
was said 10 have obtained feather
from the great being, which waa f0rty
fatk0ms LONG. No ons saw IL. tut be
nlaimsd that &c had 10. and ne oBe dis.
puted bin, as be vas very successfal In
killiBG sea otters.
Az an exhibition Of frswoFks - PORT
1esnsead some Of The Iadians cav shs
bursting Of ssne foekeks vhishE dis
played derry serpsnts, aud they offered
fabulous sums for pieces Of thesn, as
they beiieved them 20 be part Of the
80 Nr.na al
Hen. j. a swan. ID his . Three I sars'
md his Makah Indiana" has given
any other writer that hsYs -und,
lh0ugn several others speak Of Il. 10
regard to the &4 So E ~
oRIazH
OF the bird he gives the following ira |
dttion anens the Lndians abous Sh0al.
Yates Bay; 49, R
Aces ago an cid man named Toolux,
(oF the south Wind) while travelling 10
the north, met &C old woman named /
q loots-hoii. who was an oaFees and |
eIantess. He asked her for food, where /
epon she gave HIN net, ieiIin9 him b /
Try and eaten some fsa. .He did so and |
caught q little whale. This he was
about 10 cnt with his knife, but abe told
aim TO take q sharp shell and nos cut /
the fab cFosswise, bui split it down the
back. Bus be did uot obey her, andcat !
the fish sefoss the side, when 10 changed
10 so immense bird, that when nyinR
dbsouRed the sun and shook the earth.
Il fsw away 20 the aorth and lie on top |
Of Q meuntaia. The old woman jour
neyed noFGh In search OF the bird, and
one ~, while Il was away picking Der
res, she found lie nest full Of eggs,
which she began TO break and eat, and |
from these m inkind were prodncea.
ONE CAUSE OF THUNpEs
Mr.. swan gives 10 this way. When q
young woman reaches w0manhood she
mas to 20 through q process OF pnrifca
tion for mSnth. Among other things,
she 10 not Allowed during a southeas;
gind, with signs of rain, to go out Of
the house, else the south Wind is 80
that he scuba the thunder bird,
gho shakes his wings and cansss thun
der, bis eyes also sending cut flashes of |
lightninR. DorinR his three ye4Fs' resi-
denee st Sho&lgatef Bay, Mr. SEan says
he neves knew a thunder storm that the |
Indians did net attribute 20 this esuse.
THn rnonpEn nInp pxsroRxAscz
Consists OF some o. the mcst savage or |
TIE Indian rites. and is called "Du- /
kwalis b she Makshs, bat generally
goes BY TIE maine Of the Black Tamah |
uDas." It's origin . asoribed to the
following legend among the Nitiiuaas, /
a. told by Mr.. swan:
Two men bad fallen In love With one
woman, and at last came 30 Gu aFrel.
Bat one, With some ssnss left, said;
I" D1n't let as ight soout thai sQu4v. |
| Rill go cut and see the chief OF the
Wolves, and he will tell me What Is 70 be
done. Bat ! cannot Qei 90 biz lodge
e1cspt By slrataaem. Nov they know |
W are AZ SAriauee; 80 do you take me
bt the bair aud drag me over these /
sharp rocks, which are covered With |
btrnacles. and shall bleed, ard I win |
pfs'end 70 Be dead, and the wolves will |
eqms and carry me away 30 the house"
This sas done, aud the wolves toak him
- the house OF their chief; but when |
they we're about ready 10 eat him, be |
Jumped up and Astonished them BY his |
bAldneas. The chief wolf was % much |
pleased With his bravery that be i'm
parted 30 him all the mysteries Of the |
thundeF bird preferences, and she black |
{ unanimous ceremonies are she resalt. /
The thunder bird Il represented By W.
rio1s
Ilauaxs
AnsnR the Iodians, which are carved |
90 various articles and In many plasss. |
Aknong ths MAkmhu, ~ Fuoen6suted b. |
Mg. S@an. Il 4 shown By . great bird. \
which holds Q whale In lee claws. and |
near which are iva hsh- a. ssrpent like |
IaRures, uAleA ere e9ppoeed % garry che |
iiehtaina. TIE same writer. IN sketsh |
about the tattoo marks Of the Haida
Iadians. has piuluFed me sane bird. a. /
copied from the back % HAida. Mr.. |
J. Deans 10 he Aaaeriean Aotiquarian |
for Novaxheg, 1855. gives Q piosnre Of |
oae which b p1acsd over tie door % |
eAief's hoasa "a Alan Bay, Vansouver |
lslAad. for profession. Es says that In |
byRone days. vhen Whales 8efs plenti-
tel, the people. vhen out IN their frau |
oanoea, were n constant dread Of them |
Keowtnx ahs thuaasr bird - bstbe sn |
suny of aheea wnallss. the Indians painted |
il on tself hoaseG@ and evsn on their /
oediea for prOesatisn.
4 have two var aloha. one Of COPPER,
tue ether Of akone and he handle OF = l
thira 81 hons, al % uAish have ag1res |
6f..4a 4